CSA Cooking: Deboned Whole Chicken Stuffed with Braised Kale and Collards over Grilled Turnips and Carrots

This recipe is part of the Just Picked series, a partnership between Modern Farmer + Foodterra.

Deboned Whole Chicken Stuffed with Braised Kale and Collards over Grilled Turnips and Carrots

Rolling deboned chicken halves around braised kale and collards to create golden brown parcels means you get white and dark meat – and plenty of dark greens! – in every bite. The greens are combined with a forcemeat made from ground chicken and butter so the chicken roulades will hold together when sliced. Follow our instructions for deboning a chicken, or save time and effort by asking your butcher to do it for you.

1 whole chicken ((about 3 pounds))
Olive oil, (as needed)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15–20 small turnips (we used ‘Hakurei’), (cut in half or quartered if large)
9–11 carrots, (peels on, cut in half lengthwise)
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives for finishing

Chicken stock

Olive oil, (as needed)
1 onion, (cut in half, then each half cut lengthwise into thirds)
3 carrots, (roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic, (slightly smashed)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley
¼ cup loosely packed fresh oregano
½ cup white wine ((we used Chenin Blanc))

Kale and collards stuffing

Olive oil, as needed
1 bunch collards, (stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise then chopped)
1 shallot, (chopped)
1 clove garlic, (chopped)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch kale, (stems removed, leaves sliced crosswise then chopped)
½ cup white wine ((we used Chenin Blanc))
Chicken forcement ((recipe below))

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Preheat an enameled pot or other heavy-bottomed pot to medium-high heat on grill rack or stovetop.
To bone chicken, start by removing both wings with a sharp knife. With breast side up, locate wishbone and cut down both sides and around the top with your knife; pinch top of wishbone with your fingers and pull it out, loosening with the knife if necessary. With breast side down, cut through skin along the backbone, peeling it back to expose meat and the oyster. Isolate and remove bone along backbone closest to neck. Continue to peel meat away from carcass.
Separate thighbone from backbone by exposing joint and slicing through it. (Pulling the joint apart with your hands can help separate the two pieces.) Continue cutting along the bone to detach chicken tender and breast from carcass. Repeat on second side until carcass is almost free. At this point, pick up carcass with one hand and slice along the bottom piece of cartilage to remove meat from carcass.
Lay chicken out flat and expose leg bones by cutting through meat to the bone and scraping meat away. Insert knife into space between joints, then slide knife underneath the bone and remove it. Remove the second half of leg bone, then repeat on second side. Chicken is now fully deboned. Cut through skin in between the two breasts, separating chicken into halves. Set meat aside.
To make stock, coat chicken bones in oil then transfer them to the hot pot. Cook and stir bones for about 15 minutes to get some color on them. Add onions, carrots, garlic, parsley, and oregano and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine, cooking for 3–4 minutes to reduce it. Stir in enough water to almost cover bones, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20–30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make stuffing, preheat a braiser or other heavy-bottomed pan with a lid to medium-high heat on grill rack or stovetop. Coat with 5–6 tablespoons oil and add collards, shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste; cover and cook for 3–5 minutes. Stir in kale and more salt, pepper, and oil; cover and cook for 2–3 minutes, until kale starts to wilt. Pour in wine, cover, and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until greens have softened. Transfer filling to baking sheet to cool.
Make chicken forcemeat. When greens are cool enough to handle, using your hands, incorporate forcemeat into the cooled kale and collards mixture.
Roll out one of the chicken halves, flop the tender down into the void below, then butterfly the thicker side of breast to create one even layer. Spread half the kale and collards stuffing over the piece of chicken and roll it up, starting with the breast side (so breast won’t dry out during cooking). Slide a long piece of butcher’s twine underneath rolled chicken and tie it with a simple loop and a surgeon’s knot. Wrap the long tag end around the chicken then loop it underneath itself, pulling tight using short tag end. Continue in same way down length of chicken roll. Flip roll over, pulling twine tight along length of chicken, then roll chicken roll back over and tie a surgeon’s knot with short tag end where you started. Repeat with second piece of chicken and another piece of twine.
Remove bones from stock and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Return it to pot and simmer over low heat until thickened and reduced; turn off the heat.
Preheat large cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat on grill or stovetop. Coat pan with oil, season chicken rolls generously with salt and pepper, then add them to the hot pan, rolling them around to evenly coat in oil. Sear chicken rolls, rotating to brown all sides. Continue to cook until chicken loses its pink color throughout and internal temperature reaches at least 155°F on a meat thermometer, 10–15 minutes total. Remove from heat, cover, and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
While chicken rests, toss turnips and carrots in oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until brown in spots, 5–7 minutes. Toss with additional oil, scallions, and parsley, then spread out on a serving dish. Remove twine from chicken rolls, slice horizontally into rounds, then fan out slices on top of carrots and turnips. Drizzle with the reduced stock and finish with chopped chives, some salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Chicken Forcemeat

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, (cut into 4 tablespoons, at room temperature)
1 tablespoon mustard powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor with a blade, combine chicken, butter, and mustard powder and season with salt and pepper. Pulse ingredients together, occasionally scraping down the sides of processor with a spatula, until chicken is finely chopped and butter is fully incorporated. Scrape into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until needed.

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